


Me and My Shadow

by Caliber



Series: Gravedigger [1]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Implied Romance, Medical Conditions, Other, radiation poisoning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-03-16
Packaged: 2018-10-05 21:26:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10317296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caliber/pseuds/Caliber
Summary: A short work that describes the backstory of an original character called The Coroner in the Fallout Universe.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever submitted fic, but by no means is it the first thing I've written. It reads like a medical journal recording a patient's ailments and treatments.
> 
> Enjoy!

     Day 7

     Symptoms of severe-critical radiation poisoning continue. Headaches persisting, itchiness of the skin, blurriness of vision, general feelings of weakness throughout the body. Food is being rejected by the patient’s gastrointestinal tract, resulting in chronic vomiting and diarrhea. Daily doses of Rad-A-Way seem to have little to no effect. Recommended increasing dosage to three packs.

 

     Day 26

     Symptoms have begun to worsen with each passing day. Patient’s skin is losing color rapidly, and in some places going necrotic, especially around the neck, armpits, and groin, located at the lymph nodes. Bags forming around the eye sockets, cheeks have begun to look sunken in. Patient has lost 27 pounds, if the scale is reading correctly. It should be noted that the patient has not altered dietary habits of any kind, and is continuing to drink purified water. Patient is still reporting blurriness of vision.

     Recommended that the patient continues to monitor the skin and try to remove necrotic areas as quickly as possible to avoid infection.

    

     Day 29

     Patient has lost 4 more pounds due to poor gastrointestinal performance. Patient is continuing to become paler, so much so that the skin of the patient’s left bicep is nearly transparent. Skin at the lymph nodes has begun to fall off due to necrosis, exposing muscle.

     Recommended that the patient keeps bandages over affected necrotic areas to prevent direct musculature exposure, since infection is not occurring. Patient is still reporting blurriness of vision.

 

     Day 31

     Patient’s physical symptoms have seemed to plateau and stabilize. Food and water is not rejected nearly as much as it was before, and as a result the patient’s weight has thankfully begun to stabilize at 157 pounds, if the scale is reading correctly. Hair loss, as predicted, has begun to occur, as is synonymous with many critical radiation poisoning cases. Skin loss around the lymph nodes continues, and bandages are being replaced every morning to minimize potential loss due to flesh sticking to the bandages.

     Patient reports seeing odd shapes at the edges of their vision, resulting in moderate to severe paranoia. It is humanoid in shape, with a long, flowing black coat, three glowing green eyes, and a hood that covers most of its face in shadow. On the back of its coat is a large, gothic cross with a black widow spider, and replacing the hourglass is a skull. This figure refers to itself as “The Coroner.”

 

     Day 32

     Patient’s cartilage at the nose and ears has begun going necrotic, and it was amputated due to blockage of the nasal cavity and inner ear. Headaches are beginning to worsen, resulting in severe nausea and vomiting. Patient is photosensitive and beginning to respond very poorly to Rad-A-Way.

     Recommended that doses of Rad-A-Way are lessened from three to one per day, and exposure to light is kept to absolute minimum. Patient is still reporting blurriness of vision.

    

     Day 35

     Patient continues to respond poorly to Rad-A-Way. Flesh has ceased going necrotic and now simply flakes and peels off, similar to bad sunburn or dry skin due to dandruff of the scalp. The last remnants of necrotic flesh were removed this morning; bandages were replaced to keep the now exposed muscle covered. Patient reports severe discomfort in clothes due to itchiness.

     Patient saw “The Coroner” once again today, and entered a catatonic state for three minutes after the encounter. Recommend psychological evaluation as soon as possible, if at all, and total cease of Rad-A-Way dosage.

 

     Day 40

     Patient claims they saw “The Coroner” this morning, is apologizing profusely for any sort of ill reception to treatment because of it. Condition has been stabilizing now that the patient is off of Rad-A-Way, it seems, and the headaches have lessened considerably. Photosensitivity has died down a bit, though it has not completely disappeared, and the patient’s skin is falling off at an accelerated rate.

     Symptoms are now recognized and synonymous with what is commonly known in the wastelands as “Ghoulification.” Whatever mental conditions are stemming from the patient’s condition is a likely result of this. Nurses instructed they are required to keep any form of reflective surfaces away from the patient.

 

     Day 43

     Patient’s bandages continue to remove flesh, and they have been advised to not watch while the bandages are being replaced. Patient has been instructed that they are suffering from a combination of radiation poisoning as well as burn wounds.

     Patient reports increased sighting of “The Coroner” and actually seems to be responding well to them. Recommend that the patient receives psychological evaluation immediately.

 

     Day 46

     Patient has finally received mental evaluation, and as predicted, is suffering from hallucinations due to the decrease in chemical releases in the brain. Patient is also suffering from paranoia, depression, and worries about their image. Patient reportedly requested to see a mirror, and was promptly denied. Patient was not physically responsive to any nurses for the duration of the day.

 

     Day 47

     Patient has been heard talking when no one is in the room. Transcript has been recorded and transcribed below.

     “What? No, of course no one’s seen you. Only I can, remember?” Patient coughs. “No, I don’t think they know. They’re telling me that I have a lot of second and third-degree burns that they’re trying to treat… But…” Patient has a ten second coughing fit. “Oh my god, is that blood?” Silence lasting for thirty seconds. “No. Yes. I-… I don’t know anymore. They won’t…” Patient is crying. “They won’t let me look in any kind of mirror. I don’t know what I look like anymore. I don’t know if I want to know.” Patient coughs for five seconds. A gasp is heard. Presumably, the patient coughed up more blood. Crying until the patient falls asleep.

 

     Day 50

     Patient has been removed from the Intensive Care Unit and has physically stabilized, except for chronic headaches, periodic vomiting, blood-tinged sputum after coughing fits, and continued hair and skin loss.

     Patient still reports blurriness of vision, which may be permanent, as well as a loss of the ability to see intense shades of the color blue. Rad-A-Way was administered and patient immediately vomited. Colors were black, dark red, and yellow. Patient questioned colors and was advised not to question further, and was not physically responsive to nurses for the rest of the day.

 

     Day 52

     Patient continued to not be physically responsive unless asked to do something, such as lifting an arm, presenting the elbow for an injection or blood work, testing reflexes, et cetera. Breathing is beginning to wheeze from the patient, presumably due to the radiation finding its way into the lungs.

     Patient reportedly asks for a mirror whenever a nurse enters the room and is denied, as instructed.

 

     Day 54

     Patient had to be restrained due to physical attack on a nurse. Nurse reports bite marks and lacerations due to scratches. Patient reportedly is crying, saying “I don’t know what came over me” and “I swear I didn’t mean to”. “Conversations” with “The Coroner” are happening almost daily. Patient’s depression and worrying of self-image continue to worsen.

    

     Day 55

     Patient refuses to eat, claiming that they are not hungry. Patient’s voice is very raspy due to all the coughing, and has been instructed to drink more water. Patient, thankfully, is complying, and is cooperative with nurses since yesterday. No further incidents of the kind have been reported.

 

     Day 59

     Patient has stopped responding to nurses and doctors completely. They only stare at a single spot near the corner of the room where a glowing mushroom is kept as a light for the patient to see at night. It should be noted that the mushroom’s color is green. Mushroom was removed under my instruction.

 

     Day 60

     Seeing Craig like this really worries me. He’s a great doctor, and I think he’s finally put two and two together. Whenever I send one of the nurses in to check on him, he’s removing the bandages and trying to see his reflection in the tray that we have the scalpels on. A nurse tried to take it away from him and was bitten. He started apologizing immediately afterwards, and wasn’t physically responsive to anything. He just jumps whenever someone opens the door, and he mumbles a lot to himself.

     I don’t know how much longer he can live like this. I don’t know how much longer I can see him like this.

 

     Day 63

     Craig finally snapped. He’s killed everyone in the facility on some sort of blood-rage and he’s been screaming my name for a while now. I screamed back to him once, and he said “Craig’s not here. It’s The Coroner now.”

     I’m absolutely terrified.

 

     Day 63, continued

     He’s stopped. I don’t know why, but he’s stopped. He’s crying in his bed now, all curled up in a ball and completely covered in bandages. They’re new. I think he dressed himself in them.

 

     Day 64

     It’s just me and him, now. Everyone else is dead. Lacerations from scratches and bite marks, and the blood… Oh god, the blood…   

     Chunks of flesh are missing on some of the bodies, too. When I checked on him through one of the peepholes in the door, I saw blood covering the bandages he’s placed on himself, especially up near his mouth.

     I ran to the bathroom back near my office. I threw up in the hall on the way. I thought I heard footsteps following me every so often, but I’m so paranoid now that I don’t know whether or not he ever really knows I’m checking up on him, or whether he’ll snap again if he knows I am.

 

     Day 65

     The vomit in the hallway was missing when I went out today to check on him. I can’t even tell if it’s The Coroner or if it’s Craig anymore. Sometimes when I’m in here cowering in my office I can hear footsteps and I’ll hide under the desk with my M1 Garand, and I’ll see shadows underneath the door. They’ll stay there for around a few seconds before they walk off I think he wants to knock, but he’s hesitating, and because of it he’s walking away. Craig always said that hesitation can get someone killed, especially in the field of medicine. He never hesitated before. Not like this. Not ever.

 

     Day 66

_I’ve come in here while she’s away to write this one last thing. I should have figured out that I was turning into a Ghoul a long time ago. I don’t get why they didn’t just tell me sooner. The Coroner says that if I let him take over, that most of the pain will go away. I can still come out every so often, but for the most part it will be him taking care of everything. I remember swearing my Hippocratic Oath like it was only yesterday, so it’s probably for the better. He can take care of me a lot better in this world than I probably can. I’ve made the outfit that The Coroner wears by taking my old coat and putting some modifications on it. I stole one of the guard’s vests and fashioned it into his, too._

_Ava, if you find this… don’t come looking for me. I’m not sure how The Coroner would respond. I’m afraid to find out. He’s already killed so many of the NCR without discrimination or provocation… Guards, soldiers, doctors… Civilians… My God, there’s so much blood on my hands, isn’t there? Innocent blood. These people had families. Sons and daughters. I’m so sorry, Ava… So, so sorry… I never said anything about this before, but please, if anything else, know that I l_

_**I can hear her coming, now. It is time for him to go. I am sorry for taking your M1 Garand. May you find protection and solace in Craig’s old 9mm pistol, Ava, you are a good woman. I would hate for harm to come to you.** _

 

    Day 66, continued

     If anyone ever reads this terminal, know that I did go looking for Craig. Wherever he is, I think he’s still in there somewhere within The Coroner. If he kills me and you find my body, find him and bring him these printed out pages. It might coax him out from the corners of his own mind. He an excellent doctor who has hands more steady and skilled than anyone I’ve ever seen, and by God he has a heart made of solid gold. And God damnit I’m not going to let his memory fade away.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! Please rip this thing to shreds since I have no doubt that there are vast medical inaccuracies in there. I tried to do as much research as I could into a few things but since I'm friggin terrible I bet that there's a lot more I could have elaborated on at certain points. Criticism is very welcome, and general opinions and such.


End file.
